New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Numbers 25
1
Israel was staying in Shittim. The men of Israel began to commit sexual sins with the women of Moab.
Reference
📍 Shittim
Parallel theme
1 Corinthians 10:8
Joshua 2:1
Numbers 33:49
Micah 6:5
References Israel
Revelation 2:14
Joshua 3:1
2
The women invited the men to feasts and sacrifices in honor of their gods. The people ate and bowed down in front of the statues of those gods.
Reference
Parallel theme
Joshua 22:17
Hosea 9:10
References God
Exodus 20:5
Sacrifice
1 Corinthians 10:20
Psalm 106:28
3
So Israel joined in worshiping the god Baal that was worshiped at Peor. The Lord's anger burned against Israel.
Reference
4
The Lord said to Moses, "Take all of the leaders of these people. Kill them. Put their dead bodies out in the open. I want to see you do it in the middle of the day. Then my anger will not burn against Israel."
Reference
References Israel
Numbers 25:11
References Lord
Deuteronomy 13:17
Deuteronomy 4:3
Deuteronomy 21:23
2 Samuel 21:6
5
So Moses spoke to Israel's judges. He said, "Some of your men have joined in worshiping the god Baal that is worshiped at Peor. Each of you must kill the men in your tribe who have done that."
Reference
6
Then a man of Israel brought a woman of Midian to his family. He did it right in front of the eyes of Moses and the whole community of Israel. They were sobbing at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
Reference
7
Phinehas was a priest. He was the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron. When Phinehas saw what had happened, he left the people. He took a spear in his hand.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 6:25
8
He followed the man into a tent. Phinehas stuck the spear through both the man and the woman. Then the Lord stopped the plague against the people of Israel.
10
The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
11
"Phinehas is a priest. He is the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron. Phinehas has turned my anger away from the people of Israel. I am committed to making sure I am honored among them. And he is as committed as I am. Even though I was angry with them, I did not put an end to them.
Reference
13
He and his sons after him will have a covenant to be priests forever. That is because he was committed to making sure that I, his God, was honored. In that way he paid for the sin of the people of Israel."
Reference
Creation
Hebrews 2:17
Eternal Life
Exodus 40:15
Parallel theme
Psalm 106:31
Jeremiah 33:18
Jeremiah 33:22
References God
1 Peter 2:5
14
The name of the man of Israel who was killed was Zimri. He was the son of Salu. Zimri was killed along with the woman of Midian. Salu was a family leader in the tribe of Simeon.
People
15
The name of the woman of Midian who was killed was Cozbi. She was the daughter of Zur. Zur was the chief of a family in Midian.
Reference
People
16
The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
17
"Treat the people of Midian just as you would treat enemies. Kill them.
18
After all, they treated you like enemies. They tricked you into worshiping the god Baal that is worshiped at Peor. They also tricked you because of what Cozbi did. She was the woman who was killed when the plague that was connected with Peor came. Cozbi was the daughter of a leader of Midian."
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 2:14
Chapter Summary
Numbers chapter 25 contains God’s judgment on the sons of Israel, who turned to harlotry and idolatry, having been misled by Balak and Balaam. The Israelites’ sin brought a pestilence upon the people. The final verse of this chapter narrates the priest Phineas’s zeal and God’s covenant with Phineas and his descendants.
The people of Israel were encamped in Shittim when this tragedy occurred. The daughters of Moab lured the Israelite men into harlotry, and the Israelites began to participate in the cult of BaalPEOR. The Israelites brought this impurity to the camp, and, because of this sinful deed, a pestilence fell upon the people. God commanded Moses to execute the ringleaders of this sin so that the Israelites would return to the right path.
The Israelites were unfaithful to the Lord, and He was angry with the people. God instructed Moses to bring up the heads of the children of Israel and execute the men who had participated in the outrage. Moses advised the judges of Israel to carry out this execution, and, during the trial, a prince of Israel brought a Midianitish woman before them. This prince brought the woman before the Israelites to the tent of meeting in front of Moses and all the congregation while they were mourning.
The son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, Phineas, saw this and took up a javelin and pursued the Israelite and the Midianitish woman, thrusting them both through the body. As a result of this deed, the wrath of the Lord was turned away from the children of Israel, and the pestilence ceased.
The Scripture bears witness that a pestilence had occurred among the children of Israel, killing twenty-four thousand people. The reason for this tragedy was the Israelites’ lapse into idolatry and harlotry that had happened at the instance of Balak, the son of Beor, the king of Moab. The Lord said to Moses that Phineas had turned away His wrath from the children of Israel and had made atonement for the Israelites. God made a covenant with Phineas concerning his posterity that his descendants would be priests for His altar because of his zeal in making atonement for the children of Israel.
The Scripture further relates the names of the Israelite and the Midianitish woman. This Israelite was called Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of the tribe of Simeon. The woman was called Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a ruler among the Midianites. Thus, this Israelite and Midianitish woman belonged to tribes of the leading families among the people of Israel and Moab, respectively.
When the Lord had finished speaking to Moses, concerning the Midianites, He commanded him to bring upon the people of Midian a pestilence because of the sin committed by the people of Israel at Peor. The Midianites had enticed the Israelites to commit a trespass against the Lord, bringing about a grievous pestilence among the children of Israel. The events described in this chapter are directly related to those of the previous chapter.
Although Balak and Balaam had failed to bring about the destruction of the people of Israel by their artfulness and by the means of a curse, the Israelites themselves fell into sin and trespass by entertaining the Midianitish women at their assemblies. Consequently, the Israelites brought about a pestilence among themselves, having trespassed against the Lord.
Moreover, the people of Israel, having trespassed against the Lord, fell under His wrath. The Scripture further bears witness to the fact that one Israelite and one Midianitish woman, having committed an unseemly deed, openly showed their love before the whole congregation. It is noteworthy that the Israelites did not only fall into fornication but further committed the trespass of idolatry.
The main protagonist of this story is Phineas, the priest. The Lord pointed out that the unseemly act of this Israelite and Midianitish woman had caused His wrath to be kindled against the children of Israel. However, the zeal of Phineas made him go after the Israelite and Midianitish woman and kill them. The righteous deed of Phineas led to a cessation of the pestilence among the children of Israel that had occurred as a result of their having committed trespasses against the Lord. The Lord further makes a covenant with Phineas that his posterity will offer sacrifices to Him. Thus, Phineas became the ancestor of a priestly dynasty.
The events narrated in Numbers 25 bear witness to the fact that the Israelites had grievously trespassed against the Lord. They had committed a trespass by falling into the snare of Balak and Balaam. However, the Israelites themselves committed a sin by entertaining the Midianitish women and having participated in the cult of BaalPeor. As a result of these trespasses, the Lord brought a pestilence upon the Israelites and threatened to utterly consume them.
Nevertheless, the Lord restrained His wrath at the intercession of Phineas and, having spared the people, made a covenant with Phineas concerning his posterity that his descendants would offer sacrifices to the Lord. Thus, Numbers 25 is a transition chapter that marks the Israelites’ further trespasses and the Lord’s punishment for these trespasses. The Israelites are approaching the promised land, and, as they are beginning to understand, the greatest danger to them is not an external enemy but the sins that they bring upon themselves.
The people of Israel were encamped in Shittim when this tragedy occurred. The daughters of Moab lured the Israelite men into harlotry, and the Israelites began to participate in the cult of BaalPEOR. The Israelites brought this impurity to the camp, and, because of this sinful deed, a pestilence fell upon the people. God commanded Moses to execute the ringleaders of this sin so that the Israelites would return to the right path.
The Israelites were unfaithful to the Lord, and He was angry with the people. God instructed Moses to bring up the heads of the children of Israel and execute the men who had participated in the outrage. Moses advised the judges of Israel to carry out this execution, and, during the trial, a prince of Israel brought a Midianitish woman before them. This prince brought the woman before the Israelites to the tent of meeting in front of Moses and all the congregation while they were mourning.
The son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, Phineas, saw this and took up a javelin and pursued the Israelite and the Midianitish woman, thrusting them both through the body. As a result of this deed, the wrath of the Lord was turned away from the children of Israel, and the pestilence ceased.
The Scripture bears witness that a pestilence had occurred among the children of Israel, killing twenty-four thousand people. The reason for this tragedy was the Israelites’ lapse into idolatry and harlotry that had happened at the instance of Balak, the son of Beor, the king of Moab. The Lord said to Moses that Phineas had turned away His wrath from the children of Israel and had made atonement for the Israelites. God made a covenant with Phineas concerning his posterity that his descendants would be priests for His altar because of his zeal in making atonement for the children of Israel.
The Scripture further relates the names of the Israelite and the Midianitish woman. This Israelite was called Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of the tribe of Simeon. The woman was called Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a ruler among the Midianites. Thus, this Israelite and Midianitish woman belonged to tribes of the leading families among the people of Israel and Moab, respectively.
When the Lord had finished speaking to Moses, concerning the Midianites, He commanded him to bring upon the people of Midian a pestilence because of the sin committed by the people of Israel at Peor. The Midianites had enticed the Israelites to commit a trespass against the Lord, bringing about a grievous pestilence among the children of Israel. The events described in this chapter are directly related to those of the previous chapter.
Although Balak and Balaam had failed to bring about the destruction of the people of Israel by their artfulness and by the means of a curse, the Israelites themselves fell into sin and trespass by entertaining the Midianitish women at their assemblies. Consequently, the Israelites brought about a pestilence among themselves, having trespassed against the Lord.
Moreover, the people of Israel, having trespassed against the Lord, fell under His wrath. The Scripture further bears witness to the fact that one Israelite and one Midianitish woman, having committed an unseemly deed, openly showed their love before the whole congregation. It is noteworthy that the Israelites did not only fall into fornication but further committed the trespass of idolatry.
The main protagonist of this story is Phineas, the priest. The Lord pointed out that the unseemly act of this Israelite and Midianitish woman had caused His wrath to be kindled against the children of Israel. However, the zeal of Phineas made him go after the Israelite and Midianitish woman and kill them. The righteous deed of Phineas led to a cessation of the pestilence among the children of Israel that had occurred as a result of their having committed trespasses against the Lord. The Lord further makes a covenant with Phineas that his posterity will offer sacrifices to Him. Thus, Phineas became the ancestor of a priestly dynasty.
The events narrated in Numbers 25 bear witness to the fact that the Israelites had grievously trespassed against the Lord. They had committed a trespass by falling into the snare of Balak and Balaam. However, the Israelites themselves committed a sin by entertaining the Midianitish women and having participated in the cult of BaalPeor. As a result of these trespasses, the Lord brought a pestilence upon the Israelites and threatened to utterly consume them.
Nevertheless, the Lord restrained His wrath at the intercession of Phineas and, having spared the people, made a covenant with Phineas concerning his posterity that his descendants would offer sacrifices to the Lord. Thus, Numbers 25 is a transition chapter that marks the Israelites’ further trespasses and the Lord’s punishment for these trespasses. The Israelites are approaching the promised land, and, as they are beginning to understand, the greatest danger to them is not an external enemy but the sins that they bring upon themselves.